Grabbing Time with Grudes: Meet Comets’ Forward, Jonathan Gruden
Jan 26, 2026Utica, NY – After practice last week, we bumped into Comets’ forward and sixth-year pro, Jonathan Gruden.
Gruden grew up in Rochester Hills, MI, a city of about 76,000 people in suburban Detroit. He grew up with an older and a younger sister, and half-joked that getting into hockey was a foregone conclusion given that his dad, John Sr., had played professionally.
Gruden’s dad enjoyed a 10-year playing career spanning across the NHL, AHL, and the IHL (International Hockey League), which was formerly a minor league akin to the AHL. He played 92 total NHL games for the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals. Jonathan was just three years old when his father retired but remembers his days with the Capitals. “I remember being around the locker room, eating all the gum and stealing tape and stuff like that,” Gruden recalled. From coaching his youth teams as a kid to the support he receives today, Jonathan says that his father has always been a role model, preaching the values of hard work and being a good teammate.
Jonathan has implemented the values his father preached to him growing up of working hard and being a good teammate and turned it into a pro career. Now, as a member of the Utica Comets, he looks forward to seeing the Toronto Marlies four times each season, a team his father has coached since the beginning of the 2023-24 season. “The first year was a little weird seeing him over there. At this point, I’ve played against him a bunch so it’s really just another game but it’s still a lot of fun.”
The hockey culture in suburban Detroit was and remains ultra-competitive according to Gruden. Playing for renowned youth programs like Little Caesars and playing against some of Michigan’s top talent molded him into the player he has become and has given him the competitive edge he brings to the rink every day. Among his favorite memories from youth hockey were going to big tournaments like Silver Stick in Canada and winning the national championship with his Honeybaked 14U team.
In 2016, Gruden played for the US National Development Team, a program available for elite hockey players under the age of 18. With the program being based in Michigan, he expressed how grateful he was to be able to stay close to home at a young age while playing with some of the best players in the country in his age group which he says was crucial for his development.
He spent two years there and had a standout second season, recording 28 goals and 60 points in 61 games. Gruden earned himself the 95th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, selected in the fourth round by the Ottawa Senators. In the fall of 2018, he made his way to Miami University (Ohio). He loved his time there and keeps in touch with many of his former teammates, but left after one season to play for the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He felt that playing major junior, the highest level of junior hockey, was a better fit for his goals and trajectory, and says he has never regretted making the transition. He is grateful for being able to experience life as both a collegiate and junior hockey player, whereas most guys follow one path or the other.
Gruden made his pro debut with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during 2020-21. Playing nearly five seasons and a total of 250 games, Pennsylvania had become home. He described the team as close-knit with a lot of guys around his age and learning the ropes of pro hockey together. He had tremendous chemistry with the coaching staff who pushed him to become better and loved the support they got from fans.
What made his time in Wilkes-Barre particularly special was the opportunity to play for the big club in Pittsburgh. Gruden made his NHL debut with the Penguins on January 16th, 2023, against the Anaheim Ducks. “I found out the day before, so my family was able to fly in. We got the win which made it even more fun. It was something I’ll never forget.”
Gruden played a total of three games that season, two of which were against the team who drafted him, the Ottawa Senators. He played 13 games with Pittsburgh the following season and on March 2nd, 2024, in Calgary, scored his first career NHL goal. Gruden’s first period goal gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead and although they ultimately lost to the Flames 4-3, it was a moment instantly etched in stone. “I hopped off the bench. The puck kind of just came to me along the boards and I shot it and it squeaked through Markstrom, so it was pretty cool.”
In mid-February last year, Gruden was dealt from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to Utica where he played in 18 games in the remainder of the season. While he loved his time as a Penguin, he welcomed the move and was excited for a change of scenery.
Now just past the halfway mark of his first full season in Utica, Gruden reflected on his time here so far and expressed his gratitude for the organization and the community. “We have a great team, and there’s a lot of good people here and in this city. When you’re surrounded by good people, it makes everything better.”
On January 18th, Gruden played his 300th career AHL game. Looking back at his career to this point, he shared some of the biggest lessons he’s learned. “Just take it one game at a time. As a young kid, I’d always dwell on having a bad game and let it ruin my week. You play 72 games a year, so you’re going to have a bad game once in a while. I've learned to turn the page after a game and attack each day whether it’s a practice or a game with the same mentality and try to get a little better every day.”
During the offseason, Gruden is an avid golfer. This summer, he has a few bachelor parties and weddings to attend and has his own wedding to get ready for back in Michigan.
Gruden and the Comets are back home this Saturday at 6 pm against the Hershey Bears for Winter Games Night. The drawing for the Save of the Day Foundation’s 50/50 Raffle will also take place. For tickets, just visit uticacomets.com/tickets or call 315-790-9070.